Worldfocus

12/22/2009 :: 11:56:42 AM
Boris D. Says:

To Kawther Salam, #142:Your history Distortion and Lie is good for anti-Semite and dummy crowd. You not able to argue with jgarbuse, JGE, Ben Benson, the only think you can do is to post false slogans and brutal language. The truth is:1. The Holy Land historically belongs to Jews its Fact not myth!! 2. In 1948 regular armies of 5 Arab states attack Israel, with plan to exterminate Jews, who just escape from Nazi Europe. That was violation of all international laws!! You cannot admit these facts, because it’s ruined your False.
I am sure that you use before name: Son of Jerusalem??

12/22/2009 :: 02:39:12 AM
Ben Benson Says:

Even the Muslims’ holy book, the Qu’ran, says the Holy Land belongs to the Jews:

“And when Musa [Moses] said to his people [Hebrews]: O my people! remember the favor of Allah upon you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what He had not given to any other among the nations. O my people! enter the holy land which Allah has prescribed for you and turn not on your backs for then you will turn back losers.”

Qu’ran 5:20-21

Creating a 22nd Arab State out of a lone Israel is an injustice. Carving a 58th Muslim country at the expense of the sole Jewish nation in the world is a crime!

12/21/2009 :: 11:54:30 PM
Chuckles Says:

#104 JGE
Are you trying to kill the messengers?
Instead of smothering opposing opinions, Why don’t you arrange that hit list in alphabetical order to make it easier for the censors?

12/21/2009 :: 07:30:04 PM
Kawthar Salam Says:

Boris you are a brain washed, paranoid individual. It is extremely hard to engage you in a rational debate

12/21/2009 :: 04:36:58 PM
Boris D. Says:

To #135, Kawther Salam: If regular armies of five Arab countries attack new born Israel in 1948, with plan to finish pogrom, - It’s OK for anti-Semite!It’s by “intrnational low”. They never admit that Fact!! Never!! From that point all your Lies started.

12/21/2009 :: 11:26:03 AM
Boris D. Says:

To Ahmad Mansur, Buddy TO: After WW2 East Prussia was annexed from Germany and millions of Germans were expelled from that region. East Prussia was divided between Soviet Union and Poland. Arab countries (200 million pop) started many aggressions and terror attack against Israel (5 million pop). Why Israel do not have right to annex West Bank and Golan from Arab aggressors, like it was done to Germany??

12/21/2009 :: 11:08:17 AM
Boris D. Says:

To #133,Pan Kowaleski: “imagine what would happen if disparate Muslim groups and states came together as one against Israel”. Why “imagine”?? It’s already happen many times in 1948, 1967, 1973 and 60 years daily terror attack or you, shanovnii Pan Kowalski, just wake up!? Of course, it makes you mad, that Israel able to defend itself.

12/21/2009 :: 02:05:06 AM
Ben Benson Says:

Jews have constituted a majority in Jerusalem since the early 1800s. According to the first official public census in 1844, there were:

7,120 Jews

5,760 Muslims

3,390 Christians

The Muslims have Mecca and Medina; the Jews . . . just Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Muslims’ holy book, the Qu’ran; it’s mentioned umpteen times in the Torah (Hebrew Bible).

Creating a 23rd Arab State out of a lone Israel is an injustice. Carving a 58th Muslim country at the expense of the sole Jewish nation in the world is a crime!

12/21/2009 :: 02:02:46 AM
Ben Benson Says:

Between 1517-1917 the Holy Land was occupied by Moslem Turks — not Arab Moslems. The people who are now calling themselves “Palestinians” are Arabs. So much for that bit of propaganda.

Creating a 23rd Arab State out of a lone Israel is an injustice. Carving a 58th Muslim country at the expense of the sole Jewish nation in the world is a crime!

12/20/2009 :: 10:03:47 PM
jgarbuz Says:

First of all, I think the movie “Exodus” and the Leon Uris book it was based on, remains a lot closer to the actual historical truth than anything that has come out since then. A lot of lies and revisionist history has come out, but little in the way of substance. I suggest people actually do watch the movie Exodus. It was reasonably on the mark.
Second, Russians didnt thing that Jews in their midst were or are Russians. Poles didn’t think that Jews in their midst were real Poles. Germans didn’t think that German Jews were real Germans. Nor did Arabs think that Jews in their midst were Arabs. But suddenly, when these Jews come back to their homeland in Israel, the Arabs call them “Russians” and “POles” and everything BUT what they were, Jews. Jews ARE different. DNA analysis has proved that the majority of Jews do have Middle Eastern genes, and that they are not closely related to their hosts that they have lived amongst for centuries. Of course, there are also many Jews who are the offspring of converts. But the majority are closer to their Middle Eastern cousins genetically than they were to their European hosts.

12/20/2009 :: 09:37:54 PM
Kawther Salam Says:

Boris #138, I need to see some new and intelligent information to begin debating you, JGE, and J garbuz. All your writings on this website I have seen in the Movie Exodus with Paul Newman. Your narratives are closer to fiction than to reality and you have been using religious arguments to argue with logic and rationality. If and when any other nation on earth uses these arguments it is labeled “fanatical” by no other people but you. The funny thing is JGE, he wants people to begin revealing there names and he himself uses abbreviations!!!!! All of this is very telling; you people consider yourselves above the law and above everyone else. If you kill others, it is self-defense, if the other kill you it is terror. If you evict people from their land, you are acting according to what God told you, if people evict you from your homes, it is “Pogroms and inquisition.” If you stereotype people it is ok, if people stereotype you it is anti-Semitism. I can go on and on until tomorrow

12/20/2009 :: 07:05:47 PM
joshua Says:

yes egypt is justified in building the wall because smuggling weapons isnt a neccasary activity besides the us is building a massive wall at its border with mexico if thats ok then surly this is because this involves terrorism which egypt wants nothing to do with

12/20/2009 :: 01:50:57 PM
Borid D. Says:

To Kawther Salem, #134: For you its “religious myth”, but for Jews its Not. One can say that “Profit Mohamed dream flight over Jerusalem”- is a religious myth!! Palestinian problem created by Arab leaders to justify aggressions and terror against Israel. After 1973, Arab dictators realized that they cannot defeat Israel on battle field, they start using tactics of terror attack and propaganda war. In a reality Palestinian are living much better than their brothers in Arab countries. I’ve ask you before about seize of German territory by Poland and Russia, but you didn’t answer. I think that after 1948 Arab aggression, Israel have right to confiscate West Bank and Golan. I am sure that you’ll say that in 1948 Jews attack first (1million Jews attack 120 million Arab)??!!

12/20/2009 :: 12:27:26 PM
Boris D. Says:

To #133, Pan Kowalesky: Remember, time of pogroms are gone, for your grand parents it was very easy to kill unarmed Jews. In 1948, when 5 Arab armies attack tiny,newborn Israel, they thought it be so easy to exterminate Jews, like pogrom. Since first day they keep attacking Israel, but you Deny that Fact and are blaming Israel and calling that:”Its like the pot calling the kettle black. Criminals will always deny”.You are defending criminals!!

12/19/2009 :: 11:06:42 PM
JGE Says:

And the latest. Iran has invaded Iraq, and taken oil fields belonging to Iraq.

Sound like history come backs again, remember Sadam invading Kuwait in 1991?

Iranian people are on their way to remove the present corrupt and violent leaders: Ahamadenijad and Khamini soon will be going to hell where they belong.

12/19/2009 :: 11:01:45 PM
JGE Says:

DH (DisHonest} you finally mentioned me with the multiple names you have been using. Only the Worldfocus Moderator knows. You are back to the same song and dance you used months ago.

The extremists are despised by all of the Moslems. The extremists are Iran, Hizbullah, Hamas, Syria. Iranian present leaders calling the shots and continuing with the terror, violence, adamant speeches and so on.
The Iranian people are sick and tired of these corrupt leaders. Hamas just wants violence. Egypt is blocking the tunnels to stop the smuggling of thousands of weapons into Gaza, while people are extremely poor.

Answer the question why Hamas exploits the Gazans while Iran sends thousand of weapons, missiles and so forth.

DH (DisHonest) use your real name, do not hide like the Hamas top leader that lives in Damascus, Syria, travels constantly to Teheran to get orders from the corrupt violent Ahmadenijad, and is scared to go to Gaza.

Answer the question DH (DisHonest)

A

12/19/2009 :: 08:14:29 PM
Kawther Salam Says:

Boris, you say that “Inquisition time is gone”!!But isn’t that what you doing to the Palestinians?? May be they are gone for Jews, but Russians like you are coming to Palestine based on a religious myth and claiming that 4000 years a go they owned the land. Based on this claim you are evicting people from thier homes and you are not a shamed to invoke God in everyh action.

12/19/2009 :: 02:40:24 PM
R Kowaleski Says:

Amusing argument. Its like the pot calling the kettle black. Criminals will always deny they did anything wrong but when confronted with overwhelming evidence they will claim the victims were at fault and they were only acting in self-defense. But oddly in Israel’s case, Israel openly admits its actions in Lebanon, Palestinian Refugee camps were criminal and its daily violations of Syrian and Lebanese air space are illegal yet in its arrogance Israel outrageously claims it kills with impunity simply because it can and Israelis have convinced themselves that they are somehow authorised by God to kill and torture. No Boris D., not only do you and your thugs et al. use fascist and racist language that promotes hate and violence towards Muslims but as actions speak louder than word, we have all seen the actions of the Israeli government in massacring men, women and children not just in the recent atacks on Palestinian refugees in refugee camps but also in Lebanon where not only did Israeli soldiers mow down men, women and children but even committed petty robbery, robbing villagers of TV sets, radios, cash and jewelry. Israeli Jets bombed civilians using cluster bombs banned by the UN & NATO. However interestingly Israeli pilots were careful to bomb only the Muslim sectors as was noted by the entire world. Yet they got thrashed and chased back by the Hezbollah and that is why, in their frustration and cowardice, Israelis decided to slaughter unarmed Palestinian civilians in the refugee camps just as they did in Arba and Shattila. Israel killed refugees who could not possibly fight back, using cluster bombs on women and children which is quite pathetic, but starving entire families to death is just unforgivable. Yes indeed you people are just as murderous as the Hutus or the Serbians. Your claim seems to be because one of our warped Christians, Hitler was responsible for the Holocaust, somehow that gives you the right to duplicate that lunacy and be even more brutal towards those who cannot defend themselves. But why Muslims? Your beef is with us, so why does not Israel try and attack Germany or UK for the matter? You have been making life harsh for the Palestinian Christians as well as Muslims, how about taking upon Christians who can actually fight back - perhaps even Russia. Given what we have seen what even an ill equipped Hezbollah can do in Lebanon, one can well imagine what would happen if disparate Muslim groups and states came together as one against Israel. Remember given Israel’s small size it may threaten Iran with 20 nuclear bombs but Iran only has to lob one bomb in response to Israel’s 20 - that is all it would take.

12/19/2009 :: 12:28:17 PM
Boris D. Says:

To#131, M Barnes, Fischberg, Buddy TO: I am not trying to change your mind set. I just want to tell you, that time when anti-Semite like you, have been able to kill, torture, prosecute, expel, unarm, without the Land Jewish nation, is over, that time is gone. Jews now have tiny piece of Land and Army to protect it. We have power to respond on every attack. That reality makes you sick and mad; that why you are calling us: “violent and racist beasts and thugs”,” I know that the evil professed by jgarbuz, JGE”, “mentally unsound people who have similar Fascist tendencies”. We have newer used that brutal language, but you!! Mr. Barns, Inquisition time is gone!!

12/18/2009 :: 07:16:17 PM
JGE Says:

To #123 ” Josh ”

You have posted the most hilarious comments I have seen in this site.

You talk of everything and the kitchen sink also. No comments on the subject at hand though. The Egyptian response at the arms smuggling tunnels for Hamas by , with love, from Iran.

Talk about that DH (DisHonest), ups I mean “”Josh”".

Following Erlich’s #108, advise I follow fair and balanced opinions a la Fox news truthful reporting.

12/18/2009 :: 06:41:17 PM
JGE Says:

Is Khamini, the other is dead and gone.

12/18/2009 :: 06:31:50 PM
JGE Says:

On a serious vane. Up to now Egypt did not take action against the arm’s smuggling tunnels at the Gaza border, used by Hamas to pile up thousands of weapons and missiles.

Egypt was avoiding antagonizing the Bedouins that handle the smuggling big business. Bedouins have allowed terrorists to slip by as suicide bombers killing tourists in Egypt’s Sinai southern resorts.

Tunnels arms smuggling also provides 15,000 jobs. Good paying jobs. All payed by Iran, of course.

Egypt was also irritated by Hamas rejection of a peace agreement with Fatah of the Palestinian Authority. This rejection was ordered by Iran.

Added Egyptians concerns were after stopping a plot by Hizbullah/Hamas
at the Rafah Egypt Gaza crossing point.

So the building of this wall is to stop the islamofascists from killing peaceful Moslems, and killing their own people as ordered by the Iran dictators.

12/18/2009 :: 05:53:21 PM
JGE Says:

Can anybody answer the question : If people in Gaza are so poor how come Hamas has thousands of weapons, missiles, and so forth? How come Hamas recently tested a missile that can reach Tel Aviv? How come their top leader lives in Damascus ,Syria like a pasha, and travels back and forth to Teheran to get weekly orders from the dictators Ahmadenijad and
Ayatolah Khomeini?

Answer those questions islamo-fascissts.

12/18/2009 :: 04:16:35 PM
Boris D. Says:

To #123, Josh:I don’t need to ask your permission refer to Armenian Genocide or Munich72, 9/11, Madrid, London, Darfur, Mumbai and many more. This horrable crimes show morality people you are trying to defend and hide behind LIE and FALSE accusation on Israel.

12/18/2009 :: 11:09:55 AM
Boris D. Says:

To Sharon, #116: The one of the biggest Colonial and Apartheid negation is Arab nation. Arab conquers territory of N. Africa, Egypt and Middle East, territory of 16mil. sq. km. Armenian Genocide is a good example how brutally they colonized native population. Jews took back from Arab 20thd. sq. km., belonging to Jews, or only 0.12% of Arab occupied territory. Real colonial states are Arab countries!!

12/18/2009 :: 04:11:23 AM
Josh Says:

So if you are against Fascism and Israel’s policy of Apartheid, then you are an Anti-Semite????????????

12/18/2009 :: 04:09:22 AM
Sharon Says:

Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, speech to the Knesset, quoted in Amnon Kapeliouk, “Begin and the ‘Beasts,”‘ New Statesman, June 25,1982:

“[The Palestinians] are beasts walking on two legs.”

Yitzhak Rabin, leaked censored version of Rabin memoirs, published in the New York Times, 23 October 1979. Rabin’s description of the conquest of Lydda, after the completion of Plan Dalet:

“We shall reduce the Arab population to a community of woodcutters and waiters.”

David Goldman wrote:

“We declare openly that the Arabs have no right to settle on even one centimeter of Eretz Israel… Force is all they do or ever will understand. We shall use the ultimate force until the Palestinians come crawling to us on all fours.”

Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir’s infamous quote:

“There is no such thing as a Palestinian.”

Ariel Sharon, Israeli Foreign Minister, addressing a meeting of militants from the extreme right-wing Tsomet Party, Agence France Presse, November 15, 1998:

“It is the duty of Israeli leaders to explain to public opinion, clearly and courageously, a certain number of facts that are forgotten with time. The first of these is that there is no Zionism, colonialization, or Jewish State without the eviction of the Arabs and the expropriation of their lands.”

12/18/2009 :: 04:07:36 AM
Sharon Says:

David Ben-Gurion, May 1948, to the General Staff.
From Ben-Gurion, A Biography, by Michael Ben-Zohar, Delacorte, New York 1978:

“We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population.”

Joseph Weitz, head of the Jewish Agency’s Colonization Department.

From Israel: an Apartheid State by Uri Davis, p.5:

“Everybody has to move, run and grab as many hilltops as they can to enlarge the settlements because everything we take now will stay ours… Everything we don’t grab will go to them.”

Theodore Herzl, founder of the World Zionist Organization, speaking of the Arabs of Palestine, “Complete Diaries,” June 12, 1895 entry.:

“Spirit the penniless population across the frontier by denying it employment… Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly.”

12/18/2009 :: 04:06:14 AM
Sharon Says:

Michael Ben-Yair, Attorney General of Israel, 1993-1996 (in Ha’aretz):

“The Intifada is the Palestinian’s people’s war of national liberation. We [Israel] enthusiastically chose to become a colonialist society, ignoring international treaties, expropriating lands, transferring settlers from Israel to the Occupied Territories, engaging in theft and funding justification for all these activities.. we [Israel] established an apartheid regime.”

Ehud Barak, on Israeli TV (date undetermined, but confirmed by former Israeli Knesset Member Marsha Friedman):

“If I were a Palestinian, I would be a terrorist.”

(Speaking about Sharon’s policies toward the Palestinians.)

Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel (date undetermined, in an Israeli cabinet meeting):

Don’t worry, we [Israel] control the United States.

12/18/2009 :: 02:47:43 AM
Ben Benson Says:

From the horse’s mouth:

“There is no such thing as Palestine in [Arab] history, absolutely not.” — Arab Princeton Professor Philip Hitti, before the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry in Jerusalem in 1946

12/18/2009 :: 02:45:24 AM
Ben Benson Says:

From the horse’s mouth:

“We [Palestinians] were never an independent state in history, we were part of an Arab state and an Islamic state.” — Palestinian Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahhar (quoted in The Economist, February 2008).

12/18/2009 :: 02:40:55 AM
Ben Benson Says:

From the horse’s mouth:

“There is no such country! ‘Palestine’ is a term the Zionists invented! There is no Palestine in the Bible. ‘Palestine’ is alien to us; it is the Zionists who introduced it.”

– Arab leader, Awni Bey Abdul-Hadi, before the Peel Commission, whose 1937 report never refers to the Arabs as ‘Palestinians.’

12/18/2009 :: 02:38:13 AM
Ben Benson Says:

Creating a 23rd Arab State out of a lone Israel is an injustice. Carving a 58th Muslim country at the expense of the sole Jewish nation in the world is a crime!

12/18/2009 :: 02:33:26 AM
Ben Benson Says:

Ishmael Khaldi, who is deputy consul general of Israel for the Pacific Northwest USA, had this to say earlier this year:

“… My perspective is unique, both as the vice consul for Israel in San Francisco, and as a Bedouin and the highest-ranking Muslim representing the Israel in the United States. I was born into a Bedouin tribe in Northern Israel, one of 11 children, and began life as shepherd living in our family tent. I went on to serve in the Israeli border police, and later earned a master’s degree in political science from Tel Aviv University before joining the Israel Foreign Ministry. . . .”

“I am a proud Israeli - along with many other non-Jewish Israelis such as Druze, Bahai, Bedouin, Christians and Muslims, who live in one of the most culturally diversified societies and the only true democracy in the Middle East. Like America, Israeli society is far from perfect, but let us deals honestly. By any yardstick you choose - educational opportunity, economic development, women and gay’s rights, freedom of speech and assembly, legislative representation - Israel’s minorities fare far better than any other country in the Middle East. . . .”

“If Israel were an apartheid state, I would not have been appointed here, nor would I have chosen to take upon myself this duty. There are many Arabs, both within Israel and in the Palestinian territories who have taken great courage to walk the path of peace. You should stand with us, rather than against us.”

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/04/EDRP168GMT.DTL

12/18/2009 :: 01:23:27 AM
JGE Says:

#108 Erlich is the new name of Budy TO

The post is full of venom and hate .
He is again violating the conditions of Worldfocus posting. I hope the moderator takes care of this person.

12/18/2009 :: 01:21:02 AM
Ben Benson Says:

1) Algeria — 2,318,741 sq km
2) Bahrain — 691 sq km
3) Comoros — 1,787 sq km
4) Djibouti — 23,310 sq km
5) Egypt — 1,002,000 sq km
6) Iraq — 438,317 sq km
7) Jordan — 89,206 sq km
8) Kuwait — 17, 818 sq km
9) Lebanon — 10,452 sq km
10) Libya — 1,775,500 sq km
11) Mauritania — 1,030,700 sq km
12) Morocco — 458,730 sq km
13) Oman — 212,458 sq km
14) Qatar — 11,437 sq km
15) Saudi Arabia — 2,149,690 sq km
16) Somalia — 637,657 sq km
17) Sudan — 2,506,000 sq km
18) Syria — 184,050 sq km
19) Tunisia — 164,150 sq km
20) UAE — 77,700 sq km
21) Yemen — 540,sq km

Total Arab area = 15,836,959 sq km*

==================

Israel — 20,330 sq km**

*Oxford Dictionary Of the World (Oxford University Press 1995)

**https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html

Creating a 22nd Arab State out of a lone Israel is an injustice. Carving a 58th Muslim country at the expense of the sole Jewish nation in the world is a crime!

12/17/2009 :: 10:42:58 PM
Emily teller Says:

This interview is fascinating, indeed educational and informative. This young man is very impressive and very balanced. How can I donate to WF? Your reporting is unmatched by all the other media in the USA. Thank you WF

12/17/2009 :: 05:35:54 PM
Boris D. Says:

To #108, Erlich: “decent people do not like Fascist Apartheid states such as Israel nor do they like those who support such official “Criminals” as defined by the UN”- This is openly hate speech, and should be removed.
Mr. Erlich, do you know that most of Muslim states are under rule of brutal dictatorship. “decent people” name Turkey one democracy in the Muslim World. In 1912-1914 they kill 2 million Armenian, but still denying Armenian Genocide. What they are doing to Kurds “decent people” can see in W/F report by G. Yarbil Dec.16, 2009. Mr. Erlich stops spreading LIE about Israel.

12/17/2009 :: 10:55:57 AM
Erlich Says:

JGE & Jgarbuz, This is not an Israeli web site and neither is this the JDL site where Israeli fascists vent their racist bile, hate and venom against Muslims and Islam. There are sufficient people here with differing views and the reason people in general abhor Israel is because overwhelmingly normal, good and decent people do not like Fascist Apartheid states such as Israel nor do they like those who support such official “Criminals” as defined by the UN. If you do not like their views then just “click” and to go away. There is always the Fox news’ site where you will have an all-exclusive pro-Israel platform guaranteed and not one dissenting voice will be allowed to filter in to offend you.

12/17/2009 :: 10:48:46 AM
Boris D. Says:

To #103 Ahmad Mansour and Buddy TO:Yes, UN gave to Israel territory with bordered witch not possible to defend. 5 Arab countries attack new born Israel next day. UN was waiting Israel to be destroying and only after Israeli counterattack UN started cry to save Arab armies. Tell me please, why Germany was punished for aggression, but Arab could not be punished for 3 aggressions against tiny Israel??

12/17/2009 :: 05:47:31 AM
B. Kelly Says:

Well JGE, that’s good reasoning, isn’t it? I suppose that every American who makes a statement critical of President Obama or his administration is automatically anti-American? Rediculous.

12/17/2009 :: 03:39:07 AM
JGE Says:

Worldfocus statement says:

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Please remember to be respectful and on-point in your comments. Malicious or offensive comments will be deleted and repeat offenders will be banned.

There were 41 blogs that violated the above statement. All anti-Israel.
I invite the Moderator of Worldfocus to read these blogs and decide.
The pro-Israel blogs do follow the conditions set by Worldfocus.

Buddy TO numbers: 35,57,68,70,75,77,79,92,95
Matthew #4
Hans #5
James #25
michael #27
Hashim #28
Joihn Doane #32
Nancy Farrell #34
BINSAFI #37
Patricia #40
Mark #42
B. Kelly #44 and #54
frank #48 and #67
insr #49
Wm. McCall #51
David Galindo #52
Marina Gutierrez #58
Chucless #60
Goldstein #65 and #71(quite abusive )
M. Simmons #74
Nathan #83
Haddasa #85
Ben Disraeli #87
Stu Barak #88
Sue Hirsch #89
Sol Yossin #90
alieninisrael #91
Fischberg #98
Ahmad Mansour #103
Kwther Salam #104

12/16/2009 :: 10:50:19 PM
Kwther Salam Says:

Dear WF. How come you allow Mr. J Garbuz to occupay this website and keep rpeating himself in almost everyday!!!! for this piece he has more than 22 bloges and all are the same. In the mean time you have been cutting many people from participating

12/16/2009 :: 10:45:58 PM
Ahmad Mansour Says:

Boris, but UN is what created Israel. Remember resolution 181, or the UN was good in 1948 and it is bad now? Remember Russia was able to occupay Georgia in no time but Israel and West cried about that and Iraq occupied Kuwait and Israel cried about that too

12/16/2009 :: 05:15:55 PM
Boris D. Says:

to #95 Buddy TO: After WW2 East Prussia was annexed from Germany and millions of Germans were expelled from that region. East Prussia was divided between Soviet Union and Poland. Arab countries started 3 aggressions against Israel and every time Israel defend itself. Why Israel do not have right to annex West Bank and Golan from Arab aggressors?? Only, because UN resolution. But UN is bunch of Hippocrates, control by Arab League.

12/16/2009 :: 04:21:19 PM
Boris D. Says:

To #98 Fischberg: You cannot argue with Mr. jgarbus, the only think you can do, its abuse and insulting. That shows level of your “intellect”.

12/16/2009 :: 12:29:55 PM
jgarbuz Says:

Well when they’ve been beaten on the basis of facts and logic, the irrational adversaries typically resort back to blood libels and ad hominem attacks. They’re all so predictable. ANything to avoid the issue of recognizing the right of the Jewish state to exist in peace.

12/16/2009 :: 11:36:25 AM
jgarbuz Says:

What I think is that every one of our adversaries refuse to utter the words “Jewish STATE,” which indeed is what the UN voted to allow come into existence in 1947. The UN Partition Plan used the exact words “JEwish state” and “Arab state” (not Palestinian state) in referring to the two entities they proposed as a compromise in 1947.
I don’t Israel has to discuss or negotiate anything with anybody until the RIGHT of the JEWISH STATE to exist in peace is fully recognized and acknowledge by all involved parties. I for one will never utter the words “Palestinian state” until the Jewish state is fully recognized by 56 Muslim states and everyone else.

12/16/2009 :: 10:29:27 AM
Fischberg Says:

jgarbuz - judging from your truly outrageous logic and childish prattle, you are probably still in high school.

12/16/2009 :: 09:19:40 AM
jgarbuz Says:

I just want to add, until the Jewish state’s right to exist is fully recognized, I don’t think Israel should even sit down to negotiate anything with those who won’t. I don’t think any victorious state in history ever has done so. Do you? And until fully binding peace treaties are negotiated, signed and delivered, every grain of sand, and every drop of water, every blade of grass, every thing under and above the ground belongs to the conqueror until the enemy is able to reconquer it. SO those are the only two options - continued war until one side or the other is crushed, or recogntion of the Jewish state and sitting down to negotiate a final treaty without preconditions. That’s the way it has always been done in history, and no exception to the historical laws of war for Israel.

12/16/2009 :: 08:54:12 AM
jgarbuz Says:

My understanding is that Japan and Germany signed PEACE TREATIES with the US, and yet there are still US troops in those countries. My understanding is that there is not yet any peace treaty between Israel and Lebanon, or with Syria, or the Palestinians, nor with any but only 3 Arab states. Without peace treaties, I don’t see why Israel can’t hold onto all the captured territories forever. Maybe after the victor’s right to exist is recognized, then maybe Israel can be more cooperative with some of the residents of the captured territories. But as long as they refuse to recognize the right of the Jewish state - the VICTOR - to even exist, I don’t know why the victor has to be as kind to the vanquished as it is. Could you imagine if Germans, Japanese, Puerto Ricans or Guamians didn’t even recognize the United State’s right to exist? And since neither the League of Nations nor the UN authorized the right of the US to exist, they may have a case. Especially as the US has broken every treaty it ever made with native nations and tribes. But the League of Nations did authorize a Jewish National Home, and the UN did recognize the right of a Jewish STATE to exist in 1947, I think the Arabs have some catching up to do. When they come up to speed and fully recognize the right of the Jewish state to exist, then tell us about how nasty Israel is being to the recalcitrant Arab residents of the captured territories.

12/16/2009 :: 04:20:23 AM
Buddy TO Says:

Yes the US has troops in Germany and Japan but under mutual agreement with those countries and they are not there to contol the civilian population. Guam and Puerta Rico may be occupied but the population is not living in areas surrounded by a wall while American citizens flock to either and build homes on land on confiscated land.
The International Court of Justice recognized Palestinian land when it ruled the wall as illegal because it was built on Palestinian land. The United Nations recognized Palestinian land when it declared the settlements built on it as illegal. Whatever the League of Nations passed, the UN resolutiions have modified. If the UN went out of existance there would be no one to enforce the Resolutions or Declarations so they would become irrelevant.
Yes the Palestinians can appeal to the Israeli courts for land settlement claims. Many native populations have never had written deeds to land. However it is difficult to accept that famillies who have lived in homes for generations have no claim but somehow a Jewish settler does. How fair do you think it is that a Palestinian man living in the West Bank had his home and olive grove separated by the wall. He went to court and won. Howeer he is only allowed to enter his grove a few days each year
He can not take anyone with him to belp tend the ggrove to or harvest the olives and has so few days that he could not possibly complete the it. He now has to rely on the good will of a few peace activists to assist him. This is just one case amonmg many where a victory at court is meaningless.
Eminent domain is primarily used for public works not to replace a home with one for someone else. The Israeli only roads which have cut Palestinians off from their land, famillies and friends are there to accomodate the joining of illegal settlements. Does eminent domain apply to these which suppoort an illegality?
Oh yes. the Palestinians, the Lebanese and the Syrians just have to accept Israel’s peace terms. No problem. The Golan Heights become part of Israel after all the recently passed referendum will apply. The Palestinians will have Gaza cut off from the West Bank, the West Bank will look like a jigsaw puzzle with half the peices missing and those pieces will be surrounded by a wall and Israeli settlements. The Palestinians will have no control over their air space or territorial waters or water or electriciy, no military to defend itelf and no alliances with other nations. In other words Israel just wants to keep every piece of land that it has taken and maintain absolute control over the Palestinians and have none of the responsibilities of an occupiuer. Now who could possibly pass up such a deal?

12/16/2009 :: 03:05:27 AM
Ben Benson Says:

Everything Israel does is looked on with a jaundiced eye by the anti-Israel crowd . . . even when they unilaterally withdraw from Gaza.
Israelis now see the mistake of ceding land to an enemy that seeks her very destruction in its charter.

Why, just the other day in a speech on Monday , Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said that control of the Gaza Strip was “just a step toward liberating all of Palestine.” [1]

“[W]e will not be satisfied with Gaza,” he defiantly declared. “Hamas looks toward the whole of Palestine.”

[1] The earliest mention of the Holy Land as Palestine (probably in reference to the Philistines, a non-Arabic, non-Semitic people from the Greek Isles who invaded the southern coast of the Holy Land in the 2nd half of the 12th century B.C.E) is by the Greek historian, Herodotus (5th Century B.C.E). In contrast, one of the earliest mention of the Holy Land as Israel is by King Mesha of Moab (present-day Jordan) who commissioned a stone monument in the 9th Century B.C.E (known alternatively as the Mesha Stele or Moabite Stone) where he writes:

“As for Omri [mentioned in the Bible (1 KINGS 16:16)], king of Israel, he humbled Moab many years . . .”

The Mesha Stele is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

12/16/2009 :: 02:16:21 AM
jgarbuz Says:

The League of Nations went out of existence in 1946, and only failed because the US did not join the League, and because the League did not succeed in stopping Mussolini, Hitler and Japan with their sanctions, nor did they use military means. But there is nothing in the UN Charter or bylaws that gave it the right to arbitrarily overrule prior rulings made by the Council of the League of Nations. If it had that right, then every border and decision created under the League’s auspices between 1920 and 1946 would be rendered worthless as well. And who knows? If the UN goes out of business, does that mean that all of the UN’s Security COuncil decisions become null and void as well?
Now it is true that West Bank, Gaza and Golan are legally occupied territories. So was Germany and Japan after WWII. Occupations end when peace treaties are signed. When Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinians agree to Israel’s peace terms, then the “occupation” can end. But if they refuse to accept Israel’s terms, the occupation can go on forever. The US still occupies Guam. Puerto Rico is occupied. The US still has troops in Germany and Japan.
And you are correct that land OWNED by anyone should not be taken by anyone without proper compensation. It happens even in the US frequently with our eminent domain laws. Anyone in Israel or in the occupied territories that has a valid legal claim to land being expropriated can get lawyers to take it to court. Israeli courts are as fair and just as any in the world.
But the fact is, most of the “settlements” were built on lands owned by no one, or on lands paid for by the settlers to Arab owners under the table, as public disclosure will get the seller killed. Again, the League of Nations ruled in 1922 that all wastelands and state lands were open to close Jewish settlement, as well as any private property that the Arab landowners were willing to sell. This ruling came well before the Geneva convention of 1949.

12/16/2009 :: 12:38:53 AM
Buddy TO Says:

As I recall The League of Nations was a failed entity and was succeeded by the UN. The Resolutions which have been passed by the UN are the ones that must be adhered to. Cherry picking history to bolster your arguement is pointless.
And trying to justify malnutrition and deprivation on the basis that it is nothing new or the fact that someone ate dog food is no the 60% malnutrition is from UN reports. If what happened in history were an excuse for repeating it we would all be living in anarchy. Gaza and the West Bank are Occupied Territories which even Israel recognizes. Regardless of what it is called, land owned by the Palestinians is Palestinian land and Israel has no right to take it to build settlements or a wall on it. Existing International Law has deemed these illegal. As for the water it is on recognized Palestinian land and is denied to them. Those who live under occupation do have rights and the Occupier has responsibilities which do not include land thef. Israel will continue to provoke the Palestinians and if there is a third intifada will of course blame the Palestinians. The “Israel can do no wrong” highly funded and highly organtzed propaganda machine will be in full bloome.

12/16/2009 :: 12:31:30 AM
alieninisrael Says:

Ethiopian community hit hard by discrimination
Yael Branovsky Published: 12.07.07, 08:58 / Israel News -ynet

12/16/2009 :: 12:27:49 AM
Sol Yossin Says:

Er! We get treated fairly in Israel? NOT! They spit at us, throw bottles at us, deny us any jobs, confine us to slums and openly call us racist names: This YNET article by Yael Branovsky will shed more light on our plight:

Ethiopian community hit hard by discrimination
Yael Branovsky Published: 12.07.07, 08:58 / Israel News

http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3480010,00.htm

12/16/2009 :: 12:20:05 AM
Sue Hirsch Says:

I agree - Tzaruch shemirah - Hasof bah - the end is nigh. Gather them gold coins while ye may old times still a flying your pocket that jingles today tomorrow may not even have a pringle. Habba Nagila Habba

12/16/2009 :: 12:15:06 AM
Stu Barak Says:

The ICRC reported finding four starving toddlers next to the bodies of their dead mothers in one of the houses. The children were apparently too weak to stand. One man was found barely alive - HABA NAGILA HABA NAGILA HABA

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-under-fire-children-found-next-to-dead-mothers-1242607.html

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45333

12/16/2009 :: 12:05:25 AM
Ben Disraeli Says:

Well good then and now it is perfectly clear why the Muslim world needs to arm themselves to defend against a rabid Apartheid state that has been armed to the teeth by France, US and the UK to act as their proxy in the Middle East, left to rob, pillage, loot and burn - right down to the olive trees. Well it won’t be long before nuclear weapons are in the hands of not just the Iranians but every Muslim country that so desires it. Then we shall see a true balance an no amount of coddling of Israel by the US, Canada, UK & France or threats will save it any longer. Tzaruch shemirah - Hasof bah.

12/15/2009 :: 11:57:33 PM
jgarbuz Says:

First of all, Jews were in what became Spain long before the Visigoths, not to mention the Moros. The Jews helped the Moros to enter Spain, and paid a price 8 centuries later when they were expelled when the Christians regained control.
But if life in Spain was always so great under Muslim control, why did Maimonides end up fleeing to Cairo, only to become the physician to Salah al Din? And why should Jews have to live under either Christian or Muslim rule forever anyway? When we have our own homeland? What about the Mellahs in Morocco? Or the Farhud in Baghdad? Or the centuries of paying the jizya?

As for Israel have atomic bombs, it was Jews who invented them and Jews who need them more than anyone else. Jews no longer need to live in the shadow of either the crescent or the cross. WE prefer to live under the Shield of David instead, thank you. And thank God that Israel has the means to defend itself, and will continue to do so without needing permission from anyone. If the Arab Muslims want peace, they must accept and respect our rights to our homeland. Only then can “sulha” be possible. Not before.

12/15/2009 :: 11:42:11 PM
Haddasa Says:

Fair treatment of Jewish blacks you say? What Jgarbuz? Here read the following few sections from articles providing the inherent & vicious racism amongst non-white Jews against black Jews:

http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3480010,00.htm

12/15/2009 :: 11:39:36 PM
Nathan Says:

As far as your deceitful rubbish about Jews oppressed under Muslim rule, you conveniently forget the famous period when Judaism & Jewish culture flourished under Islamic rule in Spain also well known as the Golden age for Jews, a fact well documented and grudgingly admitted by even Jewish scholars & historians with integrity such as Heinrich Graetz. Yet you are fee to deny it to your hearts content.

12/15/2009 :: 11:38:43 PM
Nathan Says:

Lies can get tiresome - as does the eternal “Help!-I-am-a-Victim” ploy - never mind Israel can destroy the world 10 times over with its nuclear bombs.

12/15/2009 :: 10:12:37 PM
jgarbuz Says:

To Buddy TO

What makes it “Palestinian” water? Why not Ottoman Turkish water? After all, the Arabs of the entire Middle East were all subjects of the Sultan before 1918. And when the British defeated the Ottoman empire, the Council of the League of Nations in 1920 ruled that Palestine is to become the restored Jewish National Home. And if you read the text of the League of Nations Mandate of 1922 you will see that all the resources of country and development of its infrastructure were to be for the development of that Jewish National Home of which ARabs were to become a minority once the Jews had established their majority through immigration. There had been no Palestinian state in all of history! To say it is “Palestinian” water is to say that the water under a Jewish neighborhood is Jewish water. If and when (and that’s a BIG IF) a Palestinian state is established, then it will become Palestinian water. But as long as there as they have no state of their own, they cannot claim any of the natural resources as “theirs.” The only thing that is “theirs” is their deeded private property under their own land if they have legal title to it. Only an independent nation can claim the resources under and above it including air rights.

As to the rest of what you wrote, it is sheer nonsense. There was certainly no malnutrition when I lived and worked near Gaza in the 1980s. In fact I’m sure there were more Mercedes Benzes in the WEst Bank then than in Manhattan, NY. Now after the first intifada, things started to deteriorate as fewer Arabs were allowed in to work in Israel due to the increase in terrorism.
And maybe if a population is as stressed as you claim, why are they having an average 8 to 10 children per family? As you say, half the population is still under voting age and were born after I left Israel in 1991. Being rather irresponsible to have so many children only to suffer malnutrition as you CLAIM. Of course what you claim is sheer propaganda and nonsense, but that doesn’t stop such claims from being made.

And Israel is never proud to go to war. If you know anyone in Israel who is happy to be called back into the reserves, leave his job or business to put on the uniform to go on patrol or into a dangerous war in the narrow alleys of Gaza, or any other place, let me know. While nearly every Israeli is ready to fight for his country, no one is happy to go to war! In fact, so many Israeli movies are quite antiwar. Israel is not a martial society. There is no warrior class or tradition in Judaism. There is no proud marching, or brass bands. War is a very sad and serious business in Israel. Anything who thinks otherwise simply doesn’t know the first thing about Israel. If anything, it’s the Arabs who love to brandish sabers and shoot off their AK-47s, but in the end leave most of the fighting to their kids whom they hide behind when the IDF finally does show up.

12/15/2009 :: 09:47:46 PM
Susan Clark Says:

Thank you so much WF for this expert, he is indeed an excellent source for the American people. We never hear such great comments on CNN

12/15/2009 :: 08:45:38 PM
Sam Says:

Professor Shabaneh is a great orator. He understands the issues extremely well. He always comes up with something new. What a great asset to your program.

12/15/2009 :: 08:04:10 PM
Buddy TO Says:

Israel gave the Palestinians the Palestinians own water. How generous!!! In fact the Israelis sell some of the Palestinians their own water while 80% of West Bank water is being used to build and sustain settlements which house many Israeli immigrants while the owners of the land are being driven off their land. Israel buiolt its own waterworks whih billions of dollars from the US and othjer donars. The Palestinians have to get permission from Israel and then go thjrough the nightmare bueauocracy to build anything and of course Israel collects Palestinian taxesand withholds them at will.
I don’t know what you consider minimum but 60% of the children of Gaza were malnourished and given that half of the population of Gaza are under 18 that means that 750,000 children are malnourished. And that was before the war on Gaza. Israel must be proud of its record..
As for homes in Gaza are you suggesting that Hamas had rockets hidden in 22,000 of them and that is why they were shelled and bombed? And I suppose those egg-laying hens were really sitting on rockets. What do you suggest that the Palestinians do when their homes are bulldozed, they are cut off or run off their productive land, deprived of education, medical care, food, water, economic opportunity and are walled-in? These are not threats this is reality. Any threats from Hamas are just feeble excuses for Israel to continue its land grab.

12/15/2009 :: 06:04:16 PM
jgarbuz Says:

First of all, Israel has given the PA 30% more water than the agreement for water allocation than it has agreed to in the agreements made with it. But the PA has mismanaged water resources terribly. Israel BUILT much of the waterworks at its own expense that now exists in the West Bank and Gaza. Water is not free, especially in the Middle East in this drought. How much taxes do the Palestinian pay for the water? Israel is only required, as the legal occupying power, to supply the minimum to the population under occupation. It has supplied more than the minimum that international law requires it to.

As for the homes you speak of, next time lets hope that Hamas does not use homes to store rockets or fire them from. Let’s hope there’ll be no need for a “next time” at all. But that’s up to Hamas to decide. Israel only responds to attacks and threats; it does not initiate them.

12/15/2009 :: 05:50:14 PM
Buddy TO Says:

Resonse to jgarbuz Have you been to Gaza? You have no idea what it is like. It is most difficult to access electricity when you have no home or to get water when there is so little that is drinkable.Israel controls the essentials for Gaza and the West Bank. How is that the Israelkis living in their illegal settlements use 80% oif the water taken from the West Bank aquafer. They enjoy their swimming pools and greenhouses while the Palestinians are pressed to provide drinking water for their famillies and certainly not enough to tend their crops and olive groves. You have some preverted idea that because others have suffered that Israel is justified in its treatment of the Palestinians. As I said. History is no excuse for wat you do today and it is what you do today for which you should be held accountable.

12/15/2009 :: 05:32:12 PM
jgarbuz Says:

Ha. My father was LUCKY to get dog meat to eat in Leningrad. Eating rats and even cannibalism was not uncommon during the siege. Gaza still has no clue what war really is. The fact is, Israel provides Gaza with most of its electricity, water and much basic food supplies. But absolutely nothing that can contribute to Hamas’s war effort. Why should it? Maybe WorldFocus should make a segment on what Israel DOES supply to Gaza, an entity engaged not in self-defense but in active, unconcealed war to destroy ISrael. It is training its children for endless war. Well, at some point that will have to come to an end by one means or another. In the end, they will either have to surrender and accept peace, or face total war. The choice is theirs to make.

12/15/2009 :: 05:12:39 PM
Buddy TO Says:

Response to jgarbuz. As usual. Whenever Israel is criticized, its defenders either attavk the critic or divert the discussion into areas which are irrelevant to the present situation. The Palesrinians are being deprived of life’s necessities by Israel and now Egypt. Israel is building settlements on stolen land and allowing armed settlers to terrorize the West Bank Palestinians and blockading Gaza. Israel has ignored UN Declarations and Resolutions, the findings of the World Court of Justice and the Generva Conventions. That is what is happening today and history no matter how traumatic does not excuse its present treatment of the Palestinians and thumbing its nose at the International Community.

12/15/2009 :: 04:09:38 PM
M Simmons Says:

Looks like World Focus is selectively letting in only pro-Jewish comments while strangling any comments likely to displease delicate Jewish sensibilities - nothing has changed. Objective journalism? My foot. World Focus, yet another mouthpiece for vile Zionist and American propaganda.

12/15/2009 :: 03:38:15 PM
jgarbuz Says:

Hamas wanted war and finally got just a small taste of it last year! I say just a small taste because it was nothing compared to the Siege of Leningrad, and the entire war on the Eastern front, including right up to the Battle of Berlin that my father managed to live through over 5 years during WWII, or the ghettos and the mass murders that my mother just barely survived. And yet, though I was born in a refugee camp in Germany, no one taught me to be a suicide bomber and take revenge. Now if Hamas wants MORE real war on yet a greater scale, they can have that too! They seem to be rearming well for another round. Or, they can recognize what the PLO signed onto in Oslo, to recognize the Jewish state and start making peace. The ball is in their court and they will have to decide. One thing that is not going to change is that the Jewish state is never going away. That it is still willing to negotiate with the vanquished and offer them a state on ancient Jewish soil should be seen as incredibly generous on Israel’s part. But I guess hardcore enemies sometimes just cannot be brought around.

12/15/2009 :: 03:25:14 PM
jgarbuz Says:

Well, Islam came full circle in its war against the world, and its number one enemy, the Jews. I say number one enemy, because Islam began with the robbery, ethnic cleansing and murder of the Jews of the Hijaz who refused to submit by its most perfect messenger of God Muhammad, and now finds the Jews not only not to have submitted and subjugated dhimmis, but shockingly back in control of its ancient homeland and capital, and clearly capable of defending itself despite overwhelming odds.

And Nonie Darwish and Walid Shoebat saw there was no way to live within Islam and retain an honest and free conscience and right to criticize its hatred, nor to leave it and remain alive in the Middle East.

And I can tell you, that having lived in ISrael when the Ethiopian Jews arrived in great numbers, that they are wonderful Jews and have adapted quite well. Naturally, all immigrants have a rough time in the beginning, having to adjust to the rough and tumble of Israeli life, and yet their adjustment and integration into the society has been no more difficult than another Jewish group has faced in its first years in the country. Every group has its gripes, but overall they are doing just fine, thank you.

12/15/2009 :: 02:46:17 PM
Goldstein Says:

Naturally besides Jews and Evangelicals and homosexuals and those abandoning Islam are its worst critics because they want to justify their actions and nothing else. If Nonie Darwish converted to Christianity so be it. If she hates her father because her Christian husband and the rabid Evangelicals have convinced her that he was a monster for opposing Israel then she has to come to terms with her own warped convictions and no one really cares. However what is even more absurd is to lash out at Islam and Muslims because neither these apostates, the Evangelicals nor the Jews who support Israel’s Apartheid can justify the bigotry and racism in Israel’s vile & vicious policies towards all Arabs including its own black Jews from Africa.

12/15/2009 :: 01:42:32 PM
Buddy TO Says:

So there were Jews living in Gaza. There were Palestinians living in all parts of what is now Israel and living quite well. It is very difficult for the Gazans to develop an economy let alone feed themselves when they are under seige, They are not allowed to fish in their own waters. Only 10 per cent of their water is potable due to the destruction by Israel of the infrastructure. Their arable land was bulldozed by Israeli tanks. Their food production facillities including the egg-laying chichens , where bombed. Hospitals, schooles, mosques, humanitarian agency facillities were shelled and 22,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. Everything from paper and crayons for the children to construction materials in rebuild homes is denied to them. Israel broke the last cease-fire after spending months planning the war. They snuck it in just before Bush left office and to give the Labor government a chance to win the election after the failure in Lebanon. Collective punishment and disproportionate response are crimes and Israel needs to be held accountable.

12/15/2009 :: 12:44:23 PM
jgarbuz Says:

The Jewish Gaza settlers over 30 years built up a $100 million dollar a year flower export business which employed 7,000 Gazan Arabs, among other things. In centuries past, Gaza had considerable Jewish communities who helped make it a prosperous port in earlier times. Now that it’s Judenrein again, it’s nothing but a terrorist base producing nothing but hatred and terror. THose who want about the earlier days of Gaza terrorism back in the 1950s should look up and learn about Nonie Darwish:
From WIkipedia:
“Born in Egypt, Darwish is the daughter of an Egyptian Army lieutenant general, who was called a “shahid” by the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser,[4] after being killed in an Israeli raid. Darwish blames “the Middle Eastern Islamic culture and the propaganda of hatred taught to children from birth” for his death, which she describes as an “assassination”. In 1978, she moved with her husband to the United States, and converted to Christianity there. After September 11, 2001 she has written on Islam-related topics.[4]”

Darwish’s father helped to arm the Fedayeen palestine guerrillas who back in the ’50s created havoc and murdered scores of Israelis in the south.Today she is a staunch supporter of Israel, despite the fact that Israel killed her father. She later understood why.

12/15/2009 :: 11:57:51 AM
Buddy TO Says:

Response to Ben Bensen Israel withdrew from Gaza because it was too expensive to maintain the settlers there and they were also an impediment to military action. The big show of removing the settlers was just another PR stunt to gain sympathy from their supporters in other countries. How can we remove illegal settlements from the West Bank when it is so difficult Israel has no intention of vacating the West Bank or it wouldn’t be building more illegal settlements. I hate to tell those who advocate the total destruction of Gaza that there are now International Conventions against it because of the fire-bombing of cities and the use of nukes against Japan in WW2. Israel won’t do that because it would be a PR nightmare and could start a total war in the Middle East which could lead to the destructiion of Israel. Israel will continue to steal land and deprive the Palestinians of a descent existance while it claims to be the eternal victim. Its stated goal at the moment is to “rebrand itself” as the world is waking up to the fact that the self-annointed victims are the victimizers.

12/15/2009 :: 11:30:02 AM
frank Says:

We don’t have money for health care, we don’t have money for our schools, but we do have money to build an underground, iron wall in Egypt. Kafka, where are you when we need you!

12/15/2009 :: 10:09:51 AM
jgarbuz Says:

Israel never was and is not in any way an “apartheid” state. In 1909 when Jewish refugees in Jaffa found that many Arabs were hostile to them, they built the first Jewish city, Tel Aviv, on the empty sand dunes just north of it. Generally, Jews who emigrated to Palestine built villages and towns a short distance from an existing town or village. For example, for a while I lived in Rehovot, which was built some a few miles from the Arab town of Ramle. It was not an act of racism, but the Arabs preferred Jews not to settle in their villages. Since the day the Jewish state came into being in 1948, both Arab men and woman have had the right to vote, and even create their own anti-zionist parties. How many members of the Communist party sit in the US Congress? But anti-zionist elected Arab members of the Knesset sit and rant in the Knesset every day.
Anyhow, the “world” prefers to yell at Israel because the Muslims are too numerous to confront. Islam claims that Jews are the offspring of “apes and pigs” and yet they call us Jews racists! And the world continues to call Islam “a religion of peace” when in fact, Muhammad murdered, robbed and ethnically cleansed the Jews out of Medina and the Hijaz in 628AD. And to this day, no Jew, Christian or other “unbeliever” is not permitted to be live in the Hijaz or even enter Mecca, whereas Jewish Jerusalem not only allows Christians and Muslims and others to live, work and pray freely in the Jewish capital. The Jewish state even allows Muslims to continue to control the Holy Mount and even to violently refuse Jews access to their ancient central holy site where our ancient temple once proudly stood, and where mosques today brazenly stand in its place. So the amount of lies and fabrications that our mortal enemies sell to the world is simply an affront to any semblance of truth and decency.

12/15/2009 :: 09:01:07 AM
jgarbuz Says:

Actually, during much of the 1980s, I lived in Beersheba and worked outside the town of Sderot maybe a mile or so from Gaza. Btw, much of Beersheba and nearly all of Sderot is populated by the offspring of Moroccan and other Jewish refugees from the Arab countries they lived in for many centuries. Before the first intifada that began in December 1987, my ex-father in law and other Jews would routinely bring their cars into Gaza to get half price maintenance and repairs, and daily thousands of Gazans poured into Israel to do day-labor and get free health care, and returned to Gaza in the evening. No different than Mexican day labor that crosses he US-Mexican border daily. I witnessed this every day. Unfortunately, the disturbances and escalating violence of the intifada changed things dramatically, and caused a definite worsening of the standard of living of Palestinians as Israel was forced to reduce its use of Palestinian labor in Israel. Every act of “resistance” (i.e. terror) only worsened things, but for the Palestinians most of all. What had been a decent standard of living by Middle Eastern standards was wrecked by the increased terrorism that their irresponsible leaderships has always managed to lead them to since 1936.

12/15/2009 :: 08:48:50 AM
jgarbuz Says:

The problem with our world today is that many will believe a lie if they are tortured into doing so. If you are told repeatedly, or verbally tortured daily into believing that the earth is flat and sky is purple, you may come to believe it despite all scientific evidence to the contrary. Denial of evolution is one example, and believing in a “Palestinian nation” is another. Goebbels said that a lie repeated often enough and for long enough will become believed as the truth. This is Orwellian “new speak.” There is not nor every has been a Palestinian nation, nor any genocide of it. What is true, is that resulting from the illegal aggression against the State of Israel in 1948, two refugee problems came into being: (1) 725,000 Arabs, and (2) 900,000 Jews. The 725,000 Arabs went to Arab-controlled territory; 900,000 Jews from Arab countries went to Israel and elsewhere. The Jews came to call themselves “Israelis,” and the Arabs took the name “Palestinians.” 650,000 Jews from Arab countries were eventually absorbed into tiny Israel, whereas a large percentage of 725,000 Arabs were not integrated into the Arab countries and kept in camps by the Arab states instead.

12/15/2009 :: 08:30:20 AM
jgarbuz Says:

One of the greatest lies of the century, next to the idea that the Palestinians were ever a nation, is that there is sort of ongoing “genocide” against them occurring. In fact, the number of Palestinians living in western “Palestine” (Israel,West Bank, and Gaza) is over 4 times greater today than in 1947. In 1947 there were 1.3M Arabs living west of the Jordan river. Today there are about 5.4M. Overall, there are nearly 11 million Arabs who claim to be Palestinians, and the other 5.5 million live in eastern Palestne (Jordan). Lebanon and other countries. So the overall increase has been from 1.3M to nearly 11M, of whom roughly half live in “Palestine.”
By contrast, the number of Jews in the world in 1947 were roughly 12M Jews, and today roughly 13.5M, of whom roughly 43% of whom live in Israel, e.g., 5.5M.
So while overall Jewish demographics lends substance to a true genocide having occured against the Jews who once numbered nearly 18M in 1939, but quite the opposite if one looks at the true Palestinian population and demographic data.

12/15/2009 :: 03:18:34 AM
Kiganza Edrward Says:

Egypty is the most poweful country in he middle east that It went into war with Israel Six times and lost all the wars. When Egypt went through diplomatic means, It won back all the teritories that Israel captured. Now It is teaching Palestinians to believ in diplomatic approach to win back what palestinians need.Iran, Libya and Pakistan are supporting Violence against Israel something It cost dearly palestinians people.1972 Libya took one day off to celebrate the masacre of 11 inocent Israel at munich Olyimpic. Pakistanians went to kill inocent Rabi and his wife as a means of supporting palestinians. Iran is working hard to get a nuclear bomb in order to whip all Israelis out of the world face. All these disguised effort to harm jews is next to nothng but put palestinians into believing into violence. Please dear palestinians, follow what egypt has done to get back Sinai mountains and soon you will have your own country, get me?

12/15/2009 :: 02:53:56 AM
Chuckles Says:

Gaza is being slowly transform from being the World’s Largest Outdoor Prison, to another Auschwitz. If Israel likes to play games with people’s lives, let them live without oil. Israel has to import 99% of its oil from the outside world. Let the outside world cut off the export of oil to Israel, and put them in the same predicament as the Gazans.

12/15/2009 :: 02:53:43 AM
Eugene Brown Says:

It is Egypt sovereign right to secure it’s boarders even underground and for whatever reason
it deems fit.

12/15/2009 :: 02:12:19 AM
Marina Gutierrez Says:

The living conditions in Palestine: Israel, which under international law is responsible for the people it occupies, controls every aspect of the Palestine economy. Unemployment is at 29% of the work force and 57% of the population is living below the poverty line of $2.00 per person per day.Add to this the daily humiliations of checkpoints, home demolitions, artillery barrages, water shortages, and ARMED JEWISH settlers stoning Palestinian school children of shooting at Palestinians farmers, or destroying their ancient olive trees.domino.un.org/unispal.nsf
The situation is even worse in Gaza, which has been blockade by Israel since 2006. Even before Israel’s invasion in December/08, the British NGO, Oxfam, was describing it as a “humanitarian implosion”.The economy is in complete collapse,1.5 million people suffer chronic malnutrition. Lack of fuel for electricity generation and transport has compromised sewage treatment facilities and the water supply. http://www.oxfam.org.uk

12/15/2009 :: 01:44:18 AM
Buddy TO Says:

Response to JJ I woulkd suggest that Israel stop attacking the Palestinians with any of their weapons. My point was that Israel always plays the victim while the Palestinians have little with which to attack Israel or defend themselves except untargeted missles. Israel complains that it needs to defend itself as it is living among 17 hostile Arab nations. As I recall, the Israelis chose tto be there and in fact coommitted acts of terrorism against the Palestinians to be there. If Israel really wants peace than allow UN Peacekeepers as the Palestinians have rerequsted and get their 500.000 illegal settlers and illegal wall off of stolen land. The Palestinian population on The West Bank have been pacified and it has done them no good. Israel continues to build selementrs and cut them off from their famillies, friends and ability to earn a living with Israeli only roads which connect the illegal settlemnets. humiliates the Palestinians daily as they are forced to pass through the hundreds of checkpoints. Is it any wonder that the Gazans are not willing to capitulate? Would you?

12/15/2009 :: 01:33:45 AM
Ben Benson Says:

Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 for the sake of peace; what they got in return were projectiles lobbed from Hamas-controlled Gaza . . . projectiles brought in from these very tunnels! About time Egypt took some concrete action

12/15/2009 :: 01:33:10 AM
jgarbuz Says:

Israel should have done to Gaza what the USAF did to Tokyo, Berlin, Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki long ago. War is war. To win you have to crush your mortal enemy. If Japan had refused to surrender after two A-bombs, the US would have used a few more.
As for US aid, Israel would be better off if the US cut off aid to Israel, EGypt, the Palestinians, as well as arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Muslim states hostile or at war with Israel. Israel was much better off in 1967 with little US aid than it is today. If for no other reason, AIPAC should be lobbying for a cutoff of aid and arms sales to EVERYBODY in the whole region rather than for more aid to Israel. I think it would gain more popularity in the general American population that it is today.

12/15/2009 :: 12:59:40 AM
B. Kelly Says:

Response to JJ (#46): Are you suggesting that Israel is not capable of setting up well-defended checkpoints well outside of Gazan territory, with buffer zones around them of at least a few miles? And even if they can’t, are you saying that if the Los Angeles city government, say, was corrupt and smuggling in all kinds of drugs or some other items which kill people into the U.S. via the L.A. gangs, for example, that all of Los Angeles and the people therein should be blockaded and starved?

12/15/2009 :: 12:48:36 AM
Benamin Says:

What strange reporting!

How about telling us about the official border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Is it open? If not, why not? If it is, why are tunnels needed?

How come the alternative to the tunnels FROM EGYPT is Israel opening up its border crossings with Gaza and not Egypt opening its border crossing?

12/15/2009 :: 12:42:53 AM
David Galindo Says:

I have done some extensive research on Israel, and what is happening in Gaza. Israel is no boy scout, they have occupied Israel, they are the terrorist also, sadily none of the major tv networks are willing to do a honest piece on the terrorist activity Israel has been doing, ever sense they occupied Israel. As far as the wall is concerned, Eqypt is doing what it is told thru U.S.$. It is all about looking like they are trying to assist Israel, just for the $$$$$$!! I want to thank all the other comments made here. It makes me happy to see others that are informed, and willing to share there wisdom also!

12/15/2009 :: 12:32:05 AM
Wm. McCall Says:

A blockade is illegal and is an act of war. The U.S. has given Egypt $32 million to assist in the building of the underground wall. It is unconscionable that the U.S. should be supportive of Israel’s inhuman treatment of the people of Gaza. Israel is stealing their land, too, but that’s a whole other story.

12/15/2009 :: 12:16:10 AM
Don Straub Says:

I haven’t been able to decipher Egypt’s intentions regarding the new attempts to derail smuggling into Gaza. However, I welcome the move. Hamas has been taking in more than just ‘goods’ through the tunnels. It is smuggling a good deal of weaponry, including long-range missiles and anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. Hamas is a terrorist authority. There is no free press in Gaza. They repeatedly call for Israel’s destruction. Not long ago, they ruthlessly killed members of rival Fatah in Gaza-reportedly throwing some off of roofs to their deaths. If Egypt, which receives considerable aid from the U.S., deems Hamas in Gaza a ‘problem’ and attempts to halt the influx of arms into Gaza, I support their effort. Goods necessary for life, I’m sure, will be permitted to be transferred into Gaza. Weapons for Hamas terrorists will hopefully be curtailed.

12/14/2009 :: 11:48:53 PM
i nsr Says:

Many Israelis will sell weapons to Pals…all they care about is money and they don`t give a damn about the so called “jewish state” ..cause they do not belong there in the 1st place. For egypt, it is all a matter of time for thier fragile regime

12/14/2009 :: 11:40:50 PM
frank Says:

Israel is like the little boy who is so obnoxious his parents had to tie a pork chop around his neck just to get the dog to play with him. Egypt will play nice as long as the American tax payer provides the pork chops. Justice has nothing to do with it.

12/14/2009 :: 11:36:36 PM
JJ Says:

Response to Buddy TO : I agrre with you 100% about the settelment. They should be demolished by the Israeli government. But, you mention Israel had nuclear weapons, what that got to do with trying to stop missiles from Gaza? Do you suggest they should have used it?

12/14/2009 :: 11:27:30 PM
JJ Says:

Response to B. Kelly: Well, Israel had just that, only the Hamas shoot and killed a few Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoint. Any other good idea?

12/14/2009 :: 11:23:52 PM
JJ Says:

Yes. It is very easy for the Gazan to stop the blockade: Stop shooting missiles on Israeli kindergartens. But based on the short segment you show before of the huge Hamas rally in Gaza, the people there prefer to shoot missiles on Israeli civilian population then to have a normal life. The choice is their,and they selected the bloody and terroristic approach.

12/14/2009 :: 11:20:54 PM
B. Kelly Says:

Would it be justified to cut off access to San Diego, for example, including food and necessary items, if it could stop the flow of drugs or some other item into the U.S. that kills people, even though it would mean severe hardship or death for those in San Diego? If Israel or Egypt is going to blockade Gaza, they could at least put forth the effort to set up checkpoints where they could monitor and search goods that are coming in and allow the non-weapon materials to get through.

12/14/2009 :: 11:18:27 PM
Alfred Klein Says:

Absolutely justified in cutting off arms to terrorists. Any goods needed for the people is allowed in through normal means. Oh, by the way, didn’t you notice that the Hamas kleptocrats stole most of the humanitarian aid sent to Gaza? Just like the mster kleptocrat Arafat did (whose widow has billions of dollars and is living in Europe).

12/14/2009 :: 11:04:29 PM
Mark Says:

If the Egyptians put that much energy into convincing Israel to open Gaza to shipments of goods, the tunnels would not be needed. By cutting off the only source of aid, the Egyptians are perpetuating the suffering of the Palestinians living in Gaza. By taking this action and no other, Egypt is committing an immoral act.

12/14/2009 :: 10:52:25 PM
Amos Pressley Says:

It’s amazing. These poor, starving, deprived people. No money for food, hospitals, or schools, yet somehow they always have plenty for rockets to shoot across the border at Jewish kindergartens in Sderot.

I just can’t figure it out. Oh I know! Blame the Jews. There. That should do it.

12/14/2009 :: 10:47:24 PM
Patricia Says:

Depriving a civilian population of needed supplies to live is a violation of international law. Egypt is not justified in collaborating in cutting off the Palestinians in Gaza from supplies.

12/14/2009 :: 10:25:25 PM
touchstone for Christ Spirit-Led HomeChurch Says:

To love one’s enemies is to do good to them which in this case is to make sure the people receive their needs to live peaceful lives while preventing their means to receive war supplies which requires getting involved with the people. Love never fails. LOVE NEVER FAILS. Love never fails. LOVE NEVER FAILS. Put your family in the shoes of your enemies and consider how you would treat your family and then find those who are willing to treat the enemy like that if you can’t do it yourself. Love never fails, and the results are worth the investment it takes to love your enemy. Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to those who love like Jesus Christ our Lord.

12/14/2009 :: 10:08:54 PM
Mark Says:

I think Egypt is justified. The area should be monitored and policed to keep out weapons to the area.

12/14/2009 :: 09:54:44 PM
BINSAFI Says:

The Egyptian Govt has been dead wrong in it’s policy towards the Palestinians of Gaza, since HAMAS took over!
But building another WALL around these Helpless, Poor People, will only make matters worse. Not just for the Gazans, but for the Egyptian Regime as well!!
Ask any Man or Woman (even a Child) on the Egyptian/Arab Street; what they think about this new Wall, and you’ll know that President Mubarak is doing it again. This time, he’s pushing it too far….

Peace, Love & Respect.

12/14/2009 :: 09:33:53 PM
Charles Glen Says:

As long as Hamas stockpiles weapons and negotiates by bombing civilians, they need to be restrained. The Palestinians need to stand up like men and police their own state. That means putting a leash on Hamas.

12/14/2009 :: 09:25:32 PM
Buddy TO Says:

As usual the US is playing its strongest card - money. The great promoter of liberty and democracy is paying the Egyptian dictatorship to not only supress the Egytian people but also deprive the population of Gaza from lifes’ necessities instead of forcing Israel to end the seige of Gaza by withdrawing financial support. For its own domestic political reasons the US continues to provide billions of dollars to Israel regardless of how many UN Resolutions and Declarations, World Court findings or the Articles of the 4th Geneva Conventions it ignores. Israel has one of the most sophisticated military forces including nuclear weapons and yet is allowed to kill hundreds of Gazans including women and children, destroy the infrastructure, thousands of homes. agricultural land and humanitarian facillities in order to defend itself against untargeted rockets. Israel continues to provoke the Palestinians by building illegal settlements, depriving the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank of economic and eductional opportunities, tear-gassing or killing peaceful protesters and allowing the settlers to terrorize them. The people of Gaza will survive and fight on in spite of the Egytian betrayal, the injustices perpetrated by Israel or the short lived promises of Obama.neglected to mention that the US will also spend its treasure regardless of the misery it causes to other in the self-interest of the US and this is a prime example.

12/14/2009 :: 09:22:23 PM
Nancy Farrell Says:

I have heard that help is being offered on this NEW separation wall by the US. If the US cut funds to Israel for the cruelty in so many ways to Palestinians, Israelis and Egyptians would not be able to do what they have done. When will our government learn that our money is desperately hurting Palestine and Palestinians, and there can be no peace EVER with our involvement.

12/14/2009 :: 09:18:14 PM
yaakov Says:

Egypt should be praised for doing this: it’s the only way to convince Hamas that they must accept Israel’s existence.

12/14/2009 :: 08:59:51 PM
Joihn Doane Says:

It appears that Egypt is doing what either Israel or the United States wants it to do. So much for it being a soverign nation. Money talks as we know.

12/14/2009 :: 08:49:11 PM
Phillip Mills Says:

Instead of building a wall, Egypt should reverse its policy of isolating Gazans, which dates from 1948. It should integrate Gaza’s economy into that of Sinai. It should allow Gazans to visit Egypt, and end its policy of not allowing them Egyptian citizxenship. And ultimately, a political association/ federation between Gaza and the contiguous Sinai province could benefit the entire region, and help to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict.

12/14/2009 :: 08:46:05 PM
HistoryBuff Says:

Egypt is doing this not because of US pressure, but for self interest. Hamas has ties to the Muslim brotherhood, which threatens Egypt’s regime. So Egypt hopes to pressure Hamas.

12/14/2009 :: 08:44:10 PM
Patrick Gray Says:

Ultimately Gaza’s woes are the result of 60 years of Arab rejection of coexistence with Israel.

In the decades following 1948, Israel uplifted all the Jewish refugees from Arab lands. The Arab world refused to do the same for a similar number of Arab refugees.

The mess continues to score propaganda points for the Arab world in the conflict with Israel, but individual Palestinians have paid the price. Of course Israelis have too.

How different could things have been if the Arabs had accepted a two-state solution, and started to uplift Arab refugees, as Israel did for all the Jews expelled from Arab lands.

12/14/2009 :: 08:29:24 PM
Hashim Says:

Egypt is wrong for aiding israel and america’s tyrannical blockading of Gaza! The gentlemen you had on your program said loud and clear what is already obvious; “they want to bring Hamas to there knees!” The fact america is engaged in these actions and support this dictatorship and criminal apartide Jim crow israel speeks to the true vile nature of america- at it’s rotten core. Arabs that support this because of Hamas’s support from Iran are know better and equally complicited. The same Arabs that bomb markets and mosque in Shia areas of Iraq. The same Arabs that lost war after war with israel and are now their subordinate. Egypt is enslaved to the us due to the massive amount of aid it receives,2nd to israel in the me. I think the Arab dictator governments are deeply jealous of Iranian progress under decades of sanction, while they receive billions in aid and haven’t progressed an inch in Palestine. Rather they have egressed East Jerusalem and the West Bank under the west backed pa. Gaza and southern Lebanon have both been liberated more or less and to their chagrin due to the steadfast nature of the people and their resistance to injustice. And Iran supports both camps, so the proof is in the pudding. These governments are on a slippery slope and sooner or later the people will revolt! This move to flood the tunnels is one drunken step closer to that actuality.

12/14/2009 :: 08:20:42 PM
michael Says:

The U.S. has bought off Egypt for $2billon per year. So, Egypt can do Israel’s and the U.S.bidding against the Palestinians.We all know how the Native Americans were wiped out; first a war of expansion,then a truce,then an excuse for more expansion, then internment camps, deportations and finally assimilation. All for the greater glory of Israel.

12/14/2009 :: 08:01:31 PM
ola Says:

Its long overdue for Egypt to seal the tunnels been used by Hamas to smuggle weapons, which they use to kill innocent people in Israel.What kind of regime is Hamas?. Regime that believe in teaching young children who do not know right from left on how to kill for reasons they do not understand.It will be better for them to change their ways rather than relying on Iranian hard liners who are day dreaming- they thought by acquiring nuclear weapon(s) they can bully the world or destroy Israel. Common sense should prevail. No one enjoy the suffering in Gaza, but getting goods into Gaza should be through normal channels with full custom inspections. Its time to talk PEACE.

12/14/2009 :: 08:01:28 PM
James Says:

How can this action be justifiable? Palestinians in Ghaza live in a big prison, their land has been confiscated, their freedom has been taken away, They are killed, imprisoned, kidanped,tortured in every way possible and now comes Egypt to increase this inhuman pressure on those defenceless poeple. They have no access to food, medicine, they can’t go anywhere to get a job, thier water and electricty sources have been cut off. This is 21 century’s holocaust. Live Holocaust. Palestinians didn’t commit holocaust against jews, it was germans and we Europians who committed holocaut, but palestinains are paying the price!!!!! Waky Up Humanity

12/14/2009 :: 08:00:59 PM
Selly Love Says:

Egypt has never cared about the Palestinians, seeing them as a pawn in the ongoing conflict with Israel. It is Egypt that first confined Palestinian refugees to the Gaza strip in 1948 - after the Arab invasion of Israel failed.

But then the Palestinian leadership has never helped either. Instead of looking forward, both Fatah and Hamas have always looked backward, aiming to destroy Israel.

12/14/2009 :: 07:54:56 PM
Verena Says:

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I feel strongly that suffering of the Palestinian people is a black mark on all who have had the capacity to help and have not. On the other hand, I am well aware of the history between Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian government. Another concern is that (as seems to happen whenever US money goes toward this type of project) a few people will get rich, fanatics will do what they were going to do anyway, and the poor will suffer even more.

12/14/2009 :: 07:39:06 PM
david Says:

alec is correct

12/14/2009 :: 07:38:08 PM
Frank Stewart Says:

Your program was strongly slanted against Egypt. The statement made in your report that the tunnels are the only source of supply for the Gaza Strip is false. A large part of the supplies for the Strip come via Israel, but originate in Egypt. Egypt has at times opened the Rafah border, and is willing to do so permanently provided that Hamas reverts to the arrangements existing at the border before Hamas violently took control of the Strip. A return to the previous arrangements would mean putting the Palestinian Authority in charge of the Palestinian side of border (with European oversight). Hamas would rather that the Rafah border point were closed than that the PA be given control of it.

12/14/2009 :: 07:37:12 PM
Kirk Palmer Says:

I can’t beleive that we Americans are promoting this. Where are we headed?

12/14/2009 :: 07:36:09 PM
Kirk Palmer Says:

I can’t beleive that we Amwricans are promoting this. Where are we headed?

12/14/2009 :: 07:34:57 PM
wayne Says:

surely there is other ways to get supply in beside a tunnel.the reporters got in without a tunnel so i am sure food and other such supplies could could make it.

12/14/2009 :: 07:30:11 PM
Iman Says:

Who will be paying for this wall and how much money will be spent? Will American dollars pay for it when schools in certain States are being closed due to budget cuts?

12/14/2009 :: 07:04:58 PM
Zaheerah Aleem Says:

Egypt’s actions cannot be justified. The tunnels allow the Gazans to receive basic needs. More isolation walls, above or below ground, will not ameliorate the tragic situation the Palestinian are enduring.

12/14/2009 :: 06:49:10 PM
The Melancholy Poet Says:

It is a pity that when the Egyptians could be building Great Libraries (Alexandrian style)
they are having to build Iron Walls
(i.e. Thought Pictures becoming, again:
Reality Frescoes).

The Walls may be built but will Ideas
(both the Light and the Dark and all Shades in between) ever cease from crossing
Theological-Political Borders in the Minds and Hearts of Humanity?

12/14/2009 :: 06:48:24 PM
Dorn L Says:

Egypt has a long history of abusing Gaza for political gain.

Yet Egypt has got a free ride over its behavior in Gaza. Until 1967 it used Gaza as a base to send guerilla raids into Israel, while shutting off Gazans from Egypt. Since 1967, it has tried to use Gaza as a political wepaon against Israel.

Egypt has never allowed foood into Gaza, which still comes almost entirely from Israel. Israel also provides most water and 60% of the electricity.

In the meantime, Israel gets all the blame.

12/14/2009 :: 06:32:44 PM
Theodor Feibel Says:

This action on the part of Egypt is not being taken in a vacuum. The overarching context is that of “The Peace Process” — a process dependent on parties that have not always validated one another’s legitimate right to exist to in fact do so and in ‘burying the hatchet’ to open the possibility to ‘mutual coexistence’ in a peaceful environment. Egypt clearly is trying to place pressure on the Hamas led government of Gaza; and it is doing so because the Hamas led government of Gaza has thus far been a ‘rejectionist’ party vis a vis the Peace Process. The Hamas led government of Gaza has refused to accept the notion of ‘burying the hatchet’ and in fact has in the past been associated with the launching of rockets [ unprovoked by the way ] into Israeli towns; this in turn led to Israeli draconian measures in relation to the movement of goods into Gaza, the Israelis fearing that open movement of goods Hamas would simply use to import greater weaponry — as Hamas has made no secret of a political platform of hostility towards Israel. Residents of Gaza have thus built smuggling tunnels into Egypt. So; for the peace process to have a chance Hamas will need to ‘adjust’ its’ political platform. This is where the Egyptian effort to curtail smuggling into Gaza comes in. It should be clear to all that in an environment of political peace there would be no reason for the residents of Gaza to be denied ANY import-export activity ( barring illegal contraband of course ). Gaza is on the coast, it has a harbor, that harbor can be improved; there is therefore no reason for the residents of Gaza to suffer any deprivation whatsoever … if only the peace process can take hold.

12/14/2009 :: 06:32:28 PM
Lori Bianco Says:

I am a Specialized Social and Political Scientist. I just moved to the NJ area to pursue my Masters in Diplomacy and my JD in International Law. I specialized in Africa and the Middle East. Ironically I just caught this broadcast. I feel that even though the measures taken by Egypt to stop people from smuggling goods into Gaza is a good idea to prevent Hamas from continuing, it also puts in jeapordy the health and welfare of the people of Gaza who need supplies and can get them only through the tunnels. I think if they are going to prohibit them from using the tunnels that the UN or other not for profit organizations have to be able to ensure the people of Gaza delivery of basic items for their human needs. They have already suffered greatly with the previous war. Cutting them off from the only way to rebuild would be cruel.

12/14/2009 :: 06:27:22 PM
Joseph Says:

Your question betray the bias of your program. The way the question is phrased proves that you believe the Egyptian actions are unjustified. Actually, the Egyptians have much to fear from the radicalized Islamists of Hamas. Their actions are for self-preservation rather than for pleasing the Israelis and Americans.

12/14/2009 :: 06:26:26 PM
Greg Says:

If sufficient legitimate methods of supplying food and essential goods to the Gaza strip existed, then the tunnels could be closed. Is the intent to starve them out?

12/14/2009 :: 06:19:46 PM
johnrp4 Says:

History has shown/has proven when a people are pushed against the wall, they fight back if but for mere survival - that most basic of human instincts.
Egypt is catering to America for whatever reason -we can only assume financial.
America, bugger off. You have made the most intolerable of situations only worst, regardless of what your intentions might have been. Stay home!
Keep your blood-stained hands off the starving people of the Gaza.
And everywhere else.

12/14/2009 :: 06:18:02 PM
Alec Says:

It is justified. If hamas was a responsible and reasonable “government”, then they would sit with Israel and Egypt and talk. Instead they invite trouble with their actions and provoke retaliations from Israel. So there is no other way but to put them to their knees, their people dont want to do it then Israel and Egypt will. I know it sounds cruel, but there is no other alternative in dealing with them. And if someone thinks that Israel should drop their arms, you are highly mistaken. Look at the record of history: Israel NEVER started a war with an arab/muslim nation or group for nothing. Israel was always attacked first and had to defend itself. Because of that, arabs and muslims, specifically hamas in this situation, should be the first to extend the hand of peace and sit down for talks.

12/14/2009 :: 06:17:46 PM
demetrios Says:

Egypt’s dictatorship will always bow to American wishes in order to continue its illegitimate hold on power and the American aid. Egypt is perpetrating an atrocious act by closing the Gaza channels.

12/14/2009 :: 06:16:46 PM
Bill A Goldschein Says:

walls dont stop wars.
Politicians fight, people die

12/14/2009 :: 05:48:56 PM
Hans Says:

I agree with Matthew

12/14/2009 :: 05:44:45 PM
Matthew Says:

There is nothing just about starving people, or trying to cut off their right to fight for their freedom and self-determination in their own land. They are not justified.

12/14/2009 :: 05:34:23 PM
TomVA Says:

This question is a joke, right? Are you people really so dull that you don’t know where the Palestinians are buying their weapons and wares? Do you really think the Egyptians are going to give up the millions of dollars (given to the Palestinians by the US and EU) that the Palestinians are using to smuggle weapons into Gaza? This is strictly political showtime to make the world think that Egypt is trying to work for peace.

12/14/2009 :: 05:19:29 PM
jgarbuz Says:

Hamas can end all acts of war, including blockades, if they merely accept the Oslo accords and Israel’s right to exist. Egypt and the PLO has, at least on paper. Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, and so Egypt has its own reasons to inhibit Hamas.
As long as Hamas is indoctrinating hundreds of thousands of Gazan children to hate and kill Jews it is simply a serious enemy entity who give no quarter and ask for none. Until and unless Hamas can be dislodged, there is no hope for peace in the region.

12/14/2009 :: 04:10:45 PM
Jim Weekley Says:

I think so - because if the Gaza is used to smuggle weapons and terrorist in then I may prove beneficial. As for as the Gaza needing civilian goods - I think that normal channels for them would be sufficient. Hamas must be up to evil to want things “smuggled in” or else why would they want them “smuggled in”. Jim @ USA